Lawn-mower sharpener.



W. B. ARNOLD.

LAWN MOWER SHARPENBR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1914.

l,l23,9?'5. Patented Jan.5,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PEI'ERS 00.. FHO'ID-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D. C,

W. E. ARNOLD.

LAWN MOWER SHARPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1014.

1, 1 23,9?5. Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETSBHEET 2. 219

k THE NORRIS PETERS ($0., PHOTOVLATHOH WASHING ION D. C

WILLIAM E. ARNOLD, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

LAWN-IVIOWER SI'IAR-PENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Application filed June 25, 1914.. Serial No. 842,446.

This inventlon relates to improvements in lawn mower cutting bladesharpeners, and

the primary object of the invention is the provision of a structure forsharpening the blades of a lawn mower by rotating the blades so thatthey will engage a sharpening element during their rotation and also toprovide means for feeding the lawn mower blades longitudinally along thesharpening element so as to efficiently sharpen each and every part ofthe blades.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consists insuch novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference designatelike or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in whichFigure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved lawn mower cuttingblade sharpener, showing parts thereof broken away, Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view through the sharpener, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectionalview taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a cross sectionalview on the line 4 t of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, 1 designates the base ofthe lawn mower sharpener, which has two upright posts 2 and 3 mounted,thereupon and secured thereto in any suitable manner. The verticalupright 2 has a sleeve 1 extending transversely therethrough, adjacentits up per terminal end, which sleeve is provided with internal screwthreads and has adjustably seated therein an externally screw threadedrod 5, which rod has a hand wheel 6 mounted upon its outer terminal end.

, Suitable lubricating devices 7 are carried by collars 8, which aremounted upon the sleeve l and provide for the proper lubrication of theworking of the rod 5 within the sleeve 4. The upright 3 has a sleeve 9extending transversely therethrough, which sleeve has a rod 10 sliclablelongitudinally therein. The rod 10 has a coil spring 11. connected toits outer terminal end, which coil spring is also connected to an eyelet12 carried by the upper terminal end of the post 3, and the spring tendsto force the rod 10 inwardly toward the central portion between the twovertical posts, and being securely connected to the rod it will limitthe inward movement of the rod.

The rods 5 and 10 have their inner terminal ends tapered, as is clearlyshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The rods 5 and 10 have sleeves 11 and12 mounted upon their inner free ends, which sleeves are held against rotation or against longitudinal movement upon the ends of the rods by setscrews 14:. The sleeves 11 and 12 receive the terminal ends of thecentral shaft 15 of the rotary cutting blade 16 of a lawn mower. Therotary cutting blades of the lawn mower are constructed in the usualmanner, having a plurality of arcuate blades disposed about endsupporting pieces 17, so that upon rotation of the cutter blades theywill cut grass or the like. A set screw 16 is inserted through thesleeve 12 and engages the outer surface of the protruding end of theshaft 15 of the lawn mower blades, so that the cutter will rotatesynchronously with the rotation of the rod 5 by the hand wheel 6.

The base 1 of the lawn mower sharpener has an angle plate 20 securedthereto by bolts 21, which bolts are adjustably seated in the slots 22,which slots are formed in the base 23 of the angle plate 20. Thevertical portion 24c of the angle plate 20, has straps 25 carriedadjacent its upper and lower ends, which straps are provided for bindinga file or other sharpening element 26 upon the vertical standard 24.

By the adjustability of the bolts 21 in the slots 22, the sharpeningelement 26 may be adjusted or moved forwardly or rearwardly, so as toproperly engage the knives of the rotary cutter 16 of the lawn mower,for eiiiciently sharpening them in the operation of the lawn mowercutter sharpener.

In the operation of the improved sharpener for rotary cutting blades oflawn mowers; the rotary cutting blades are positioned intermediate thefacing ends of the rods 5 and 10, being mounted for synchronous rotationwith the rod 5 by the sleeve 12, and the file or other sharpeningelement 26 is positioned by the loosening of the nuts 27, which hold thebolts 21 in adjusted positions in the slot 22, and the m0ving of thebolt within the slot so that it will be positioned properly forengagement with the knives of the rotary cutter. After the rotary cutter16 of a lawn mower has been properly positioned, the rod 5 is rotatedthrough the medium of the hand wheel 6, which will rotate the cuttingelement 'of the lawn mower, causing the blades to contact with thesurface of the sharpening element 26. The cutting element 16 of the lawnmower will be fed longitudinally by the longitudinal adjustment of therod 5 within the sleeve l, which adjustment will be occasioned throughthe medium of the screw 7 threads formed upon the rod in the sleeve,

upon the rotation of the rod by the hand wheel. The spring 11 will tendto force the rod 10 inwardly and will keep the same properly positionedat its inner end in engagement with the end of the shaft 15 of the lawnmower cutting blade 16, at all times during the rotation andlongitudinal movement thereof.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of themethod of operation of the improved lawn mower sharpener will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains,and, while in the foregoing the principle of the operation has beendescribed, together with various features of construction, it is to beunderstood that certain minor features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts may be altered to suit practical conditions,provided. such alterations are comprehended within the scope of what isclaimed.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. In a sharpener for the rotary cutting blades of alawn mower, a supporting structure, a rotatable rod carried by saidsupporting structure, a slidable rod carried by said supportingstructure, said rods being positioned in alinement with each other forsupporting the cutting blades of a lawn mower therebetween, a sharpeningelement carried by said supporting structure and movable toward or fromthe aXes of said rods, and means for moving said rotatable rodlongitudinally upon rotation thereof for moving the cutting blades of alawn mower along said traveling element.

2. In a sharpening device for the rotary cutting element of a lawnmower, a supporting structure having vertical uprights secured thereto,an internally screw threaded sleeve carried adjacent the upper end ofone of said vertical uprights, an externally screw threaded rodadjustably extending through said internally screw threaded sleeve, arod slidably seated in the other of said vertical uprights, said rodsbeing provided for supporting a rotary cutting element of a lawn mowerbetween their meeting ends, whereby said rotary cutter'will besynchronously rotated and moved longitudinally upon the rotation of saidscrew threaded rod, and a sharpening element adj ustably carried by saidsupporting structure for movement toward or away from said rod forconforming to the size of various rotary cutters of lawn mowers.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. ARNOLD. lVitnesses E. L. DROST, H. R. i/VHEELER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of iatents, Washington, D. 0."

